Leader Guide

Leader Introduction

This is Miss Tina’s first day as an intern at Quantum Labs. She is both excited and nervous at the same time to go somewhere unfamiliar and to meet new people—and robots! It turns out that she is not the only one with these feelings. Widget is hiding, and the other robots have no idea where she is!

Gizmo helps Tina present a Bible story about a shepherd named Moses. God supernaturally speaks to Moses through a burning bush and calls him to do something really big. The problem is that Moses is not so sure he is the right man for the job!

In this lesson, we will learn that God provides help and strength so we can have the courage to do what He asks us to do.

Optional Opening Game

Does anyone know what a shepherd does? A shepherd takes care of sheep. 

In this game, two sheep are missing from the flock and the shepherd must find them!

Choose a child volunteer to be the shepherd. Have the shepherd stand a few feet away from the circle of children and turn his/her back to them. Have the children be as quiet as possible. Silently give the two sheep to two children in the circle, then have them sit on the sheep so it can’t be seen. 

Have the shepherd turn around and then tap the shoulder of one child who he/she thinks is hiding a sheep. The chosen child then stands up to reveal if the lost sheep has been found. The shepherd gets a second turn to find a sheep.

Continue to play with different shepherds until it is time to move to the next activity.

To make the game easier and to involve more children, add two more sheep to the game and play the same way, or have two shepherds instead of one.                 

Object to GO!

Hold up the snake and discuss it with the following comments and questions:

●      This snake is a toy; raise your hand if you have seen a real snake. Children respond.

●      Where did you see the snake? Children respond.

●      This snake doesn’t scare us because it is a toy; raise your hand if real snakes scare you. Children respond.

●      A snake is in our Bible story today. I can’t wait to find out why!     

Leave the question unanswered until after the Bible story.

Video –– Tina's First Day

Play Video (Tina’s First Day—opening dilemma)

Tina's First Day

Optional Discussion following the video. 

●      What was the name of the first robot that Miss Tina met? Gizmo

●      Why was Miss Tina afraid on her first day at Quantum Labs? Going to a new place. She didn’t know anyone there. 

●      Can you share a time you were scared to do a new thing or meet a new person? Children answer.

●      Rig the robot was exercising. What kind of animal was he lifting? Kittens.      

●      What was the name of the robot who hid from Miss Tina and the other robots?  Widget

●      Why did Widget hide from Miss Tina? She was scared to meet someone new.

Today’s lesson is about courage. Courage is trusting God to help you do something that may seem hard, difficult or scary. 

Teaching Time

Play Video (Bible story)

Moses and the Burning Bush

Bible Story

Print the Flame Page in color or black and white on cardstock.

If the page is printed in black and white, color the flames with crayons or markers.

Cut 3 strips of tape, then form each into a small ring (sticky side out) and to the back of each flame.   

Select volunteers to play the following roles:

●      Moses

●      Aaron

●      Burning bush

●      3 Israelites  

●      3 sheep   

Adjust the number of sheep and Israelites as desired

Using the rings of tape, attach the three flames to the palms and forehead of the burning bush actor.

Assist Moses and Aaron with their beards   

Give Moses the “staff” to hold. 

Tell the Bible story slowly using the bullets provided. Bring excitement and interest to the story by varying your voice and volume level.

Pause at the bolded text which indicates that it is time for the actor or actors to enter the designated area and/or perform as instructed.

When God speaks, use a deep but not scary voice.

●       There was a man named Moses who lived in the desert. Moses enters with his staff or walking stick.

●      Moses was a shepherd who cared for his sheep. All the sheep said “baa!” The sheep enter and wander around on their hands and feet/knees or crouch down, “baaing” as Moses walks around them.

●      Uh-oh! Suddenly a bush began to burn. The bush enters and stands a few feet away from Moses with flames turned toward him. 

●      Moses was surprised; he had never seen anything like this before. Moses looks at the bush with a surprised face. 

●      The bush burned brightly with fire, but it did not burn up! Let’s see the burning bush waving its branches. Burning bush actor waves hands.

●      This was no ordinary bush. God was speaking to Moses through it!

●      God told Moses to take off his shoes because the ground was very special and holy.

●      Then God said, “I see what Pharoah is doing to my people, the Israelites. Pharoah makes them work very hard, and they are tired and hurting!”

●      God said: “Moses, I am going to send you to free them so they can live in a new land that has everything they need!”   

●      Moses was afraid; He put his head down. Moses lowers his head.  

●      Moses did not think he was the man God should send.  

●      God said, “I will go with you to Pharaoh; you will not be alone!”   

●      Moses shook his head no. He did not think anyone would believe him. Moses shakes his head no.

●      God said, “Moses, put your staff on the ground.” The leader puts the staff on the ground.      

●      God did a miracle and the staff turned into a living snake! The leader picks up the staff and lays the snake on the ground.      

●      Hmmmm, now where have we seen this snake before? Children respond.

●      Yes, now we know why it is here! 

●      God told Moses He would do more miracles to prove He had sent Moses.

●      Moses shook his head no. He was STILL scared because he could not talk well to people. Moses shakes his head no.

●      God told Moses that He created people with a mouth to talk and ears to listen. He would teach Moses what to say.  

●      Moses shook his head no again. Again, he asked God to send someone else!  Moses shakes his head no.

●      Moses had a brother named Aaron. God sent Aaron to help Moses. Aaron enters, stands beside Moses, and puts his hand on Moses’ shoulder. 

●      Moses smiled; He was happy to see his brother Aaron! Now he had the courage to go to Pharaoh.

●      Moses and Aaron went to the Israelite people. The Israelite actors enter and stand in front of Moses and Aaron.    

●      Moses told the Israelite people that God cared about them and wanted to free them from the hard work that Pharaoh gave them.

●      The Israelite people were happy. The people raised their arms and jumped up and down. Then they bowed down and worshiped God!

●      Even though Moses was afraid, God was kind and patient. He gave Moses the strength and courage to go to Pharaoh.   

●      Raise your hand if you believe God is always with you! Children respond

●      It is true, we are never alone. God will never leave us! And that is God’s promise to us in today’s Bible verse!       

Verse to GO!

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)

Optional: Show the memory verse presentation at 10:00 of the video (which is the complete verse, rather than the abbreviated version here).

Raise your hand if you remember when Gizmo and Widget showed us the Bible verse in the video. Children respond.

Today we are going to learn the first part of this verse.  

So be strong and courageous.

“Courageous” means to have courage!

Suggestion: Teach the verse with the motions below to help kids remember the words in the verse.

Be strong… Raise arms with clenched fists and make muscles.

and courageous… Stand tall and straight with feet together and make a serious, confident, determined face.

Emphasize what it means to show courage: trusting God to help you do something that may seem difficult or scary.  

Note: Preschool children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it with you. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Music Time

The lyrics and chords for this song are found in Resources.

Create your own motions for the song, or use the suggested motions for the chorus as seen in the Quantum Karaoke “Be Courageous” under Resources, or under “Extras! in the DVD main menu.

Bible Story and Resolution

Play the video song and teach the chorus and motions of “Be Courageous” to your students.

My God’s giving me strength, giving me strength to be courageous…. Run in place, raise arms as if lifting barbells or flexing muscles with clenched fists. Dance side to side.     

Additional motions:

Do not be afraid… Stand tall and straight with feet together and make a serious, confident, determined face.

because the Lord… Point to the sky with one hand

Is with me everywhere I go… Point to self and march in place.  

He’s always so close… Hold arms out as if to hug someone

I’m never alone… Simultaneously point to self with one hand and to the sky with the other hand.  

The children may also want to dance and move to the verses of the song.

Prayer Time

Close the lesson in a simple prayer to encourage the children to thank God for giving us the strength to have the courage to do good things for Him.  

For example: Dear God, thank You for speaking to Moses through the burning bush and giving him the courage to do all You asked him to do. We know that You still speak to us today, and that You are always with us. Give us the courage to do all the good things that You have planned for us—good things that please You. In Jesus’ powerful name we pray, Amen. 

Coloring Page

As children color, review today’s lesson using the discussion points below: 

●      Who is in the picture? Moses.

●      What was Moses doing when he saw the burning bush? Watching his sheep.

●      Who spoke to Moses from the burning bush? God.

●      What does God give us so we can do things that are new and sometimes scary? Courage, strength.

●      Does God want us to use our courage to do things that do not please Him? No.

●      Can someone tell us today’s memory verse? Be strong and courageous! 

Optional: Hand out GizmoGO! trading cards for MOSES, one per child; available for purchase under Products. Explain to the children that there is a different trading card for each of the three lessons, so if they come back to Sunday school each week, they can collect all three! (Save the cards for Miss Tina and Gizmo for Lessons 2 and 3.)

Video Option

Let’s see what happens to Miss Tina and the robots at the end of the video!

Bible Story and Resolution

Ask the following discussion questions:

●      Miss Tina said her first day at Quantum Labs was great. What made it great? She made a lot of good friends. 

●      What did Miss Tina ask if she could do? Visit again.

●      Miss Tina thanked Gizmo for helping her talk to the other robots. Who helped Moses talk to the people of Israel? Aaron, his brother.

●      Gizmo forgot about something that made Miss Tina late for something. What was Miss Tina late for? Robot speech class.